Chosen
by AnUbIs985Demet Acargil
Summary: I tried mixing Tomb Raider with a little fantasy. Her,Lara ends up in a far-off mysterious world and finds out that she has a vital role in the fate of a country.


_CHOSEN_

By Demet Acargil

It was a beautiful Sunday morning. The sunshine that came through Lara's room woke her up. She got up, stretched and walked towards the window. "Perfect weather," she said happily. She had nothing to do that day, so she decided to take a hike in the woods. Having made up her mind, she put on her black top, cargo shorts and combat boots. She opened her backpack and put a box of crackers, water, a first aid kit, flares and her pistols. When she was done, Lara ran downstairs for breakfast.

Winston was preparing bacon, eggs and tea. He smiled when he saw Lara standing at the door. "Good morning My Lady. Lovely weather out side. Spending time indoors would be a waste."

Lara nodded eagerly. "You're right Winston. I'm planning to take a hike in the woods," Lara replied as she sat down for breakfast. She happily gobbled up her meal, and then got up to exit through the back door.

"I'll probably be back by dusk," Lara called out to Winston.

"Enjoy your hike, My Lady," Winston answered as Lara left. He smiled to himself when he heard the back door slam, then he headed to the parlor to polish the silver plates.

Lara was walking slowly, admiring the tall oak trees. It was autumn; Lara thought that this season made trees look especially beautiful. She went on for some time, until she noticed a tree that looked different than the others. Lara looked closely to examine it. Apparently it was a willow tree, but it seemed to have a face. Lara shrugged and took a step to leave; she found herself on the floor._ I could swear that tree stuck out its roots, _Lara thought as she got up. While getting up, Lara noticed that the place she landed was rather hard beneath. She bent over and dug the earth a few centimeters. There was something which appeared to be a stone lid, of a sarcophagus perhaps. On the lid were inscriptions of a language Lara wasn't familiar with. Lara pushed the lid open. To her surprise, there was a tunnel beneath, not an ancient corpse. Lara jumped in the tunnel, lit a flare and followed the path. It ended abruptly with a stone wall. Lara searched for an activator of some sort; luckily, she found a button. She pushed it and the stone wall rose noisily. Lara passed the risen wall and noticed a well. She peered at it and to her surprise, instead of seeing her own reflection, she saw a place-it appeared to be a forest but it wasn't the one she was taking a hike in. Lara lit up another flare and looked around; the well was in the center of a room. One end of the room was a bit foggy; Lara approached the wall and touched it. The earth began to grumble; an orifice formed right under her. Before she knew it, Lara was falling. After falling for some time, the earth around her disappeared and made way to the pure blue sky. Lara was so startled she didn't even scream. She fell on the ground with a hard thud and groaned.

"And Alice falls down the rabbit hole," she muttered. "I wonder when The Caterpillar will appear." Lara slowly got up and looked around. She was in the forest which had appeared in the well's reflection. There was a difference though; dead bodies were everywhere, on the ground, on the tree branches, heaped in a corner, burnt to ashes..._ Obviously, a battle has taken place, _Lara thought, a bit startled due to all the blood. Lara took a closer look at the bodies. There were creatures she'd never seen before. Short, pale-skinned, pointy-eared creatures, monsters that looked like reptiles, beings that seemed to be little humans.

"I've never seen so much blood," Lara mumbled in horror. She kept her cool and searched for survivors. However, as cool-headed as she may be, she wasn't ready for what she was about to see.

Between the mound of corpses, Lara saw a baby's foot. She pushed the corpses aside and gasped in horror. The baby had been decapitated. Tears filled up in Lara's eyes._ Who or what could have done such a terrible thing?_ She put her hands on her hips, trying to think what to do. She heard someone saying something which sounded like: "Un erelum?"

Lara turned around and saw a midget with red hair and big feet. _Strange,_ thought Lara. The midget approached Lara with his hands in the air (to show that he was unarmed). He touched Lara's hand and spoke again: "Are you all right?"

Lara took a step back and stared at him? "How did you do that?" Shockingly, she touched her throat. _I can understand him and speak his language. _"What have you done to me!"

The midget shrugged. "I cast a spell on you."

"You what! Why?"

"So we could understand each other." He cupped his hands around his mouth and spoke slowly and loudly: "Are you all right?"

Lara shook her head and pointed at the bloody view. "Who can be all right after seeing this?"

The midget nodded solemnly." You're right. The horrible Orcs never let us live in peace."

Lara was confused. "By any chance, could they be these reptiles?"

"Uh-huh." The midget studied Lara carefully. "You're not from around here, are you?"

Lara's lips curved up to form a sarcastic grin. "I fell out of the sky."

The midget shrugged. "Happens here al the time. People or creatures find portals and fall here." He raised his head to look at Lara. "Where are you from, originally?"

"Someplace called The United Kingdom."

"Has a nice ring to it." The midget smiled sadly. "Too bad we'll never unite. Everybody fights here," he added glumly.

"So, how can I get back?"

"I don't know. But if you come with me to my town, we can visit The Druid. He knows everything. He'll find a way."

"What's a druid?"

"He's an Elven Sorcerer. From what I've heard, he's beaten the dark forces a thousand years ago."

Lara was impressed. "Now _that's_ something! Ok, let's go to him. It's not like I have another choice," she said and walked with the midget to his town.

Lara saw more dead bodies along the way. "What's happened here?"

"The Orcs have attacked our land and the king declared war against them."

"What's the name of your kingdom?"

The midget took a deep breath. "Farad. We are now in Upper Farad. This forest's name is Rhovvanion. The town we're going to is called Silver Crown. Any more questions?"

Lara nodded. "You didn't tell me your name. And what are you? You're obviously not a human."

The midget shook his head. "No, I'm what they call 'a Halfling'. And my name is Tal'har. Tal'har of Silver Crown."

"And I'm Lara Croft of Wimbledon. Call me Lara."

"Ok Lara, we'll be in Silver Crown in about an hour." He noticed Lara's puzzled face. "A man had come here; he was also from your country. He taught us your measurements."

"Where is he now?"

"He returned home. I don't know what happened to him. But we owe him one."

They continued their conversation till they reached Silver Crown.

They reached Silver Crown at dusk. Silver Crown was a small village, consisting of one thousand inhabitants. However, the male population had dropped because of the war.

The inhabitants reacted differently when they saw Lara. The Halflings stared at her curiously; most humans didn't even look up.

Lara glanced at Tal'har. "Aren't there any of those creatures with pointy ears in this town?"

Tal'har looked puzzled but his face relaxed quickly. "Oh, you mean the elves. No, nearly all the elves live in the forests. But Dark Elves are evil- they worship spiders- and they live in the caves in the outskirts of Ancar. Elves-dark or not- are very conceited: they look down on the other creatures. They think they're special just because they were the first to step on these lands."

Lara raised her eyebrows. "Interesting. The Druid is an elf, isn't he? Why isn't he among them?"

Tal'har shrugged. "He can't get along with them. He had an argument with one of the High Elves some time ago."

Lara smiled. "You could have been Paparazzi in the UK."

"What's that?"

"They tell rumors about other people and make big money on it."

Tal'har blushed and smiled sheepishly. "Ah, here we are." Tal'har stopped in front of a small cottage and knocked on the door.

"Come in, Tal'har", called out a deep voice. Tal'har opened the door and Lara followed him in.

"Hello Tal'har, nice to see you," said The Druid cheerfully. He stopped and looked at Lara carefully. "You're Lara Croft." His grey eyes were locked on Lara's, searching for her soul. "You are the person in the prophecy."

Lara gaped at him in shock. "In the _what?_ What am I doing in a prophecy? I just need directions back home."

The Druid nodded solemnly. "When your duty is fulfilled, you will gain access to The United Kingdom."

"No, you don't understand. I came here accidentally."

"No, Lara Croft- it is you who doesn't understand. You have been called. Why else would you fall from the sky, hmmm?"

Lara's answer was ready. "If I had known, I wouldn't be here."

The Druid smiled. "I knew I'd like you. Follow me; I have something to show you. Tal'har, you stay downstairs."

Lara and The Druid climbed upstairs. There were staffs, a cloak and a large chest. You couldn't see the walls; every wall had been used as a bookcase. Lara went up to the bookcase and was surprised to see Shakespeare's Macbeth. The Druid noticed Lara's surprised expression; as he headed towards the chest, he replied: "John had left that for me before he left. I like that book very much."

"Is John the man who taught you the measurements?"

"Yes. That was his duty. He fulfilled it and returned home."

"How did he get back?"

"Lizaveta, the royal sorceress, cast a spell on him after he completed his duty."

"Speaking of, what will be my quest?"

The Druid shook his head. "I know, but I can't tell. It's the king who will tell you."

"So, I have to go to the capital city."

The Druid nodded. "Tal'har and I will be coming with you to Swhen-Duran." He opened up the chest, gave Lara a cloak and an armor; they seemed to made of fish skin."

"These will provide a shield from attacks. It will also help you blend in." The Druid paused to look at Lara's shorts and top. "Your outfit may be fashionable in your land, but here it isn't so."

Lara put on the armor and cloak; they were quite comfortable. "I believe you have some 'fashionable' weapons as well."

The Druid grinned and handed Lara a staff. At one end of the staff was an orb which radiated a pale blue light. "This is a Mage's Staff. You can cast spells with it."

Lara twirled the staff like a baton as The Druid spoke. "So, how does it work?"

"Just think about what you want to do with it."

"Oh, really?"

Lara aimed at the chest, turning it into a big ice cube. She grinned. "Neat trick."

The Druid furrowed hid eyebrows. "Now undo the spell." Lara turned the chest into its original form. "I see you're already getting the hang of it," The Druid muttered sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"You bet." Lara took out her pistol and showed it to him. "Bu this is my favorite." She put the pistol in her backpack as she said: "So, when are we going to pay the king a visit?"

"When do you want to go?"

"As soon as possible," Lara answered. The Druid snapped his fingers and Lara found herself in front of a castle wit Tal'har and The Druid.

"Talk about transportation!" Lara was quite impressed. She followed The Druid and Tal'har , who had entered the castle. The three of them walked down the long hallway, which revealed the throne room. A man of fifties was sitting on the throne; while a person in a burgundy cloak (Lara couldn't see the person's face). The king's face lit up with joy as he got up to embrace The Druid.

"How are you, dearest of all friends?"

"Very well, Your Highness. We'll all be better when the spell on our land is undone."

They all turned and looked at Lara. She didn't like it one bit.

"Wait a minute; I'm supposed to undo a spell?" Lara asked in surprise.

The cloaked person took off the hood and revealed a pretty young girl with red hair and yellow eyes. She chuckled softly. "No, Lara. _I_ will undo the spell. You just need to find something important. The Dark Elves stole it from us and lifted the shield which protected our kingdom. Now our kingdom is vulnerable to attacks, like the one you saw in the forest." She fixed her gaze on Lara's. "And that was just the beginning."

Lara remembered the decapitated baby and shuddered. "Fine, I'll help you," she said. _What's the thing between me and retrieval jobs? _She thoughtThe sorceress spoke up:

"You're a Tomb Raider; this is what you were meant to do."

Lara stared at her in shock. _You read my mind?_ "Yes, yours was quit easy," replied Lizaveta, giggling.

Lara sighed. "So, what do you want me to bring back?"

Lizaveta wove her hands and an image of a small bottle appeared before her eyes. "This is The Phial of Mana. We fill it up with The Potion of Mana. When these two combine, a shield is made which will protect the country."

Lara nodded to show that she understood. "So you want me to find the phial and fill it up with the potion, am I right?" The sorceress nodded and Lara continued. "Where should I start looking?"

"We know where the phial is." As she Lizaveta said that, she opened her palm and a map appeared. Lizaveta handed the map to Lara. "The stolen phial is somewhere in the caves of Ancar. The dark magic in there is very strong; I can't locate exactly where it is."

Lara's lips curved up. "I don't mind. I can take it from there. What else?"

"After you find the phial, you need to go to Hash'ra Thoron. There lives an Orcish tribe, but they are our allies. If you talk to their war chief, whose name is Thrall, they will grant you access to The Fountain of Mana."

"Ok, I'll do it. Do the Dark Elves have any weaknesses of some sort?"

The Druid spoke up: "They are sensitive against daylight. They have been cursed by The Valar -our gods- when they went evil. They will become blind if they step to the daylight."

Tal'har chimed in. "And they worship spiders!" He exclaimed, the calmed down. "They might not hurt you if you keep a spider with you."

"You know, that's a good idea," Lara replied. Tal'har beamed with pride.

The king spoke up. "Lara, since you are going on behalf of our kingdom, I announce you as 'The Keeper of Clar'thas'. Serve your title well, Lara Croft."

"I will, Your Highness," replied Lara solemnly.

The king smiled. "Now that the official part is over, here is your sword, Clar'thas." He handed Lara the sword as she stood up.

"Thank you, Your Highness."

A deep voice boomed in the throne room. "Hello Father, I came as fast as I could. What's the matter?" A tall, black- haired man entered the throne room, chasing his voice. He stopped before the king and bowed.

"Hello, son." The king turned to Lara. "This is my son, Feanor. He will accompany you on your quest."

Lara and Feanor looked at each other, then at the king, ready to protest. The king raised his hand. "Lara, you need guidance to Ancar, Feanor knows that area better than anyone else. And you'll help each other in a battle. After all, two hands are better than one."

Lara and Feanor glared at each other but said nothing. Lara put her sword in its sheath and addressed the king politely: "Your Highness, the sooner we leave, the sooner we'll start looking for the phial."

The king smiled and nodded. "Off you go then. May the Valar guide you and protect you."

"_Shlah_," said Feanor as he bent down before the king. They hugged each other affectionately. Lara and he left the throne room and got out of the castle.

The king glanced at the sorceress, The Druid and Tal'har. "Do you think they'll succeed?"

The Druid smiled. "The prophecy hasn't estimated Lara's abilities. Don't you agree, Lizaveta?"

The sorceress smiled and nodded.

As soon as they left the castle, Lara turned to Feanor. "Before we go, we should set things straight. Being the king's son won't give you the privilege of telling me what to do."

Feanor's blue eyes flashed with anger. "I'm not into the idea of working with you either. You're a woman, the weaker kind. I have no idea what my father had in mind."

Lara considered the thought of showing him how weak she could be, but decided not to. Instead, she grinned and said: "Well, we have agreed that we don't fancy each other. The sooner we find the phial, the less we have to put up with each other."

Feanor twirled his moustache thoughtfully. _Winston would have called this "the Kaiser Wilhelm moustashe,_ she thought as she waited for his response. Feanor took a deep breath. "As much as I hate it, ı agree with you, Lara Croft."

"Excellent. So, how far is Ancar from here?"

"About a day. Can you ride on horseback?"

"Of course." Feanor whistled and a boy came out of the stables with two horses.

"I've prepared the horses as you wished, Your Majesty."

"Thank you." Feanor gave the boy a gold coin, the boy's face lit up with joy. Lara raised her eyebrow as she glanced at Feanor; he just shrugged. He got on his grey stallion and pointed at Lara's horse. "Your horse's name is Thunderchaser. She likes carrots."

Lara stroked the horse's white mane. She was one of the most beautiful horses Lara had ever seen. Lara got on her horse and both took off, heading for Ancar.

Lara and Feanor took a break after ten hours, when their horses started to show signs of fatigue. They stopped by a river bend and let their horses quench their thirst. Lara got off her horse, dipped her hands in the cool water and washed her face.

Feanor broke the silence. "So, out of all the people, why did my father choose you?"

"I was told that I was part of a prophecy." She told about her big fall.

Feanor frowned. "Apparently, they didn't tell you the rest of the prophecy."

Lara shook her head. "They promised to send me back home."

Feanor smirked." Not exactly. Let me recite it to you: 'The one who falls from the sky and save Farad from destruction will rule the country."

Lara stared at him in shock. "I-I'm going to be the queen? Marry your father?"

"No, me." Lara's jaw dropped; Feanor rolled his eyes. But he couldn't help laughing at Lara's reaction. "There are many women who'd kill to be in your place."

Lara shook her head dismissively. "Forget it. I want to go home. I'm only in charge of myself, and that's how it shall remain."

Feanor shrugged. "I just told you the prophecy."

Lara was thinking hard. "We're just going to get the phial. It's the sorceress who's going to undo the spell. Perhaps you will marry her."

"Anyway, let's do our job. We'll see what happens."

"Right."

The sun had set, revealing the tiny stars that glittered like diamonds. Lara and Feanor decided to spend the night there, by the river bend.

"We'll take turns and watch our stuff," suggested Lara. Feanor volunteered to take the first turn. "You're a lady, after all."

"Fine. Wake me up when you feel sleepy, okay?"

"Of course."

Lara wrapped her cloak tightly around her. "Good night."

"You too." Feanor watched Lara as she dozed off. He liked her spirit, and she could defend herself in a battle.

He poked Lara when he heard screaming. "Arm yourself! Bandits!" Lara sprang up, picked up her staff and made a shield around them. The bandits screamed in terror: "Witch! Run for it!" And they made tracks.

When the bandits were out of sight, Lara lifted the shield surrounding them. "Well, that was easy. They were amateurs, obviously."

Feanor shrugged. "I suppose." He yawned and stretched his arms. "Now that you're awake, I can get some sleep."

Lara nodded. "Sure. Sleep tight." Feanor lied down and covered his face with his hat. Lara stared at the river, thinking about what had happened that day._ If I'd dreamed about this, I'd think that I'd drunk too much. _She sighed. _They'd better not double-cross me, or they'll pay. I'd never think that I'd actually miss home._ She grinned at the thought of that.

Lara unrolled the map which Lizaveta had given. There were three ways to reach Ancar: Through the Brethill forest, by the vast plains of Dral-man, or by sailing across Lake Ulmo. If they were to choose the forest, there was a possibility of being attacked by elves, but it was a low possibility. Lara looked found a pencil in her backpack and underlined the forest's name and put a check mark next to it. Lara's eyes shifted to Dral-man. She didn't know anything about the place, so she put a question mark next to it. Lara dismissed the idea of traveling across Lake Ulmo; it was too big, they didn't have a boat or the money to rent one. Even if they could rent one, it would take a long time to reach Ancar (the lake was almost as big as The Caspian Sea), and Lara wasn't intending to waste time. She crossed out the lake. _We'll decide what to do in the morning,_ thought Lara as she got up and stretched her legs. Lara noticed that the dark blue sky had started to turn red. "Dawn, at last!" She muttered. For some reason, she felt restless. She poked Feanor. "Pst, wake up!" Feanor stirred but didn't open his eyes. She poked him again and he opened one eye.

"Morning already?" Lara nodded. Feanor stretched and yawned. "Did you fix any breakfast?"

Lara frowned. "Fix your own breakfast," she snapped. Anger flashed from her brown eyes. "We can't have elaborate meals while your country is in danger, _Your Majesty._"

Feanor glared at Lara but said nothing. Lara sighed and took out the box of crackers. She held them out to Feanor. "Here, have some."

Feanor took a cracker and examined it curiously. "What's this?"

"It's called a cracker."

Feanor took a bite and nodded in approval. "It tastes like Lembas Bread."

Lara had no idea what Lembas Bread was, but didn't say so. She nodded instead. "So, which route will we take to get to Ancar?"

Feanor took the map and studied it. "Let's see... We can't sail across Lake Ulmo; it would take too much time. If we go from Dral-man..." Feanor paused, thoughtfully twisting his thick, black moustache. "We may have to encounter the undead."

"The undead?"

"Vampires and such."

"Oh." Feanor sighed. "The safest and quickest route would be through Brethill forest."

"What about the Wood Elves?"

Feanor shrugged. "I don't think they'll be a threat," he replied as he stood up and walked over to his horse. "If they attack us, we'll defend ourselves; it's that simple."

Lara grinned as she mounted up on her horse. "If you say so." She hit her heels against the horse; Thunderchaser took off like lightning. She smiled at Feanor who was following her.

_Brethill Forest:_

Lara and Feanor's horses trotted slowly on the path which lay before them. A soft breeze started to blow, making the trees' leaves sway and rustle.

"I have a feeling we're being watched," Lara whispered.

"It's the trees that are listening to us," Feanor whispered back.

Just then, an arrow whizzed past his ear and pierced through the bark of a tree. An elf jumped down from a branch above. He was short, 1.40 m at most, brown-haired and, in fact, resembled one of Robin Hood's Merry Men (a very 'little John', Lara thought humorously).

The elf stared at them despising. "How dare you pass through our sacred land, foolish mortal humans?"

Lara returned his gaze as she drew out her sword. "We have a quest to complete, and no one is going to stand in our way." She pointed at the elf with the tip of her sword. "Move!"

Instead of doing that, the elf stared a t the sword, astonished. "That's Clar'thas! You're the one in the prophecy! The Savior!"

Lara's angry impression turned into a puzzled one. "The Savior? I don't think so."

The elf nodded stubbornly. "You are the one who will defeat Dzor-chim H'ar! The one who stole the phial that protected Farad. It's you who shall kill him and bring back the phial. Farad will be peaceful once again!" The elf's eyes glittered with hope.

Feanor nodded impatiently. "We'll be heading towards Ancar, if you move out of our way." A confused look appeared on his face. "Wait a minute, I'm a prince! I _order_ you to move out of our way!"

Lara bit her lip, trying not to laugh.

The elf bowed and jumped up to a branch. "Good luck!"

As soon as the elf had gone, Lara burst out laughing. She imitated Feanor: "Wait a minute, I' ma prince!"

Feanor smiled sheepishly and shrugged. "Let's move on, shall we?"

Lara laughed so hard her stomach hurt. She gasped for air. "As you with, Your Highness!" She patted her horse to make it trot; Feanor did the same. Our duo continued their journey in Brethill forest till the path revealed a city, or what was left of it.

It was quite a view: The city had been burned to the ground -not a living thing was in sight- and it reeked of death. Smoke was still hanging in the air. This massacre apparently had occurred recently.

"Ancar," Feanor mumbled softly.

Lara took out the map and studied it. "The cave is located on the other side of the town; well, its exit really." She pinched her nose in disgust." It smells as if someone's left the oven for too long. Yuck!"

Feanor didn't reply. He just got off his horse and approached a scarecrow. Lara followed him. "Why are you looking at that scarecrow?" She asked Feanor.

Feanor shook his head in disbelief. "That's not a scarecrow, Lara." Lara understood what he meant; her eyes widened in terror.

"Oh my God."

"Yes, they've killed the children as well.

Lara couldn't' believe her eyes. "But why?" She kept shaking her head. "Who could have done such a horrible thing?"

"I have no idea. It's not the Dark Elves though."

"How can you be sure?"

"This isn't their style. They don't kill women and children." He smirked. "Noble villains."

Lara remembered what the elf in Brethill Forest had said. "Could it be Dzor-chim H'ar?"

Feanor shook his head. "I doubt it. It could be his mercenaries though. Anyway, we should get going."

"You're right," replied Lara. She pulled the reins and her horse neighed as she bucked.

"She's more excited than I am!" Lara remarked as her horse took off. They saw similar buildings and burned corpses along the way. Lara didn't look at them; the sights made her really angry. She needed to be calm and cool-headed as she had little idea who (or what) she was up against.

Feanor stopped abruptly when they reached the other end of the city. "We must walk from now on."

"And why is that?"

"The elves might hear the horses' hooves."

"So we'll leave them here?"

"Do you have a better idea?"

Lara nodded as she mounted off her horse; she gestured Feanor to do the same.Feanor got off his horse, Lara pointed at the horses with her staff. A pale green light burst out and transformed the horses into tarantulas. Lara took out two boxes from her backpack, put the tarantulas in there and handed one of them to Feanor. "Here, take this. If they worship spiders, it may come in handy."

"Good thinking." He took the box and put it in his sack. Lara took out her pistols and holsters. She strapped the holsters around her thighs and put her pistols in them.

Feanor looked at the pistols curiously. "What are those?"

Lara didn't feel like giving all the details, so she just said: "Weapons I brought from the UK." She sighed as she adjusted her backpack. "Let's go, shall we?

"Certainly." Feanor paused. "We should head northeast." He pointed at a foggy path. They started to walk.

Lara smiled and rolled her eyes as they walked. "You can almost feel the magic in the air," she remarked sarcastically.

Feanor smirked. "You got that right." They talked no more until they reached the entrance of the cave. Lara peered through the entrance; she couldn't see a thing, it was pitch-black. Lara took off her cloak and stuffed it in her backpack.

"Let's go in," she said and Feanor followed her in. The pale blue light which radiated from Lara's staff lit up the walls. On the walls were inscriptions and drawings. Lara studied them but couldn't understand what was written. She whispered to Feanor: "What are these about?"

Feanor studied the writing and the paintings. "I think it's about their rituals." Lara was about to say something, but Feanor covered her mouth with his hand and put his finger to his lips. "Hear the noise? That means the rituals have started.

Lara pushed Feanor's hand away from her mouth. "Let's start searching." She took out her pistol and started walking.

"I have a bad feeling," whispered Feanor as he walked along her side.

Lara grinned. "Bad feelings haven't left since I came here," whispered Lara back.

They approached a large door. It was made of silver, with a big spider relief. Feanor tried pushing it but it wouldn't budge. Lara started searching for an activator; a lever, a button or chain perhaps. She couldn't find any activators. However, she found a rock she could climb up on, so she did. Lara looked across and saw another rock. She used her staff to vault across. Lara climbed up and saw a puzzle of some sort.

There were indentations with scattered pieces next to it. Lara picked up the pieces; they were triangles and squares of assorted sizes. She put the shapes where they belonged. When Lara was done, the pieces moved towards each other and combined to form a square. Lara pushed the square; the door opened with a creak. Lara jumped down to catch up with Feanor. The door closed behind them.

"You could have waited for me," Lara grumbled.

Feanor didn't answer. He poked Lara and showed the Dark Elves who were staring at them. There was a big spider in the center of the room. Lara noticed the phial floating in the air.

"We've interrupted their ritual," Feanor said softly.

"At least we made it in time. We can stay for tea," Lara joked.

"_Silence!" _A voice broke the silence. The spider approached them.

Lara looked at the spider in shock. "That wasn't the spider, was it?"

The spider stopped a few feet before them. "Ignorant mortals! Thinking you can stop us!"

Feanor leaned over to whisper to Lara. "That is Dzor-chim H'ar. He must have transformed somehow."

Lara nodded. "Obviously." She looked at Dzor-chim H'ar, then at Feanor. Feanor understood the look in her eyes and drew out this sword while Lara did the same. Lara and Feanor hurled their swords at Dzor-chim H'ar. The swords pierced through his eyes. The spider screeched in pain; blood gushed out like a waterfall. The Dark Elves scattered in terror, but they couldn't escape from drowning in their leader's blood.

Feanor climbed up as high as he could; Lara was a few steps behind him. Feanor stretched out his hand but Lara ignored it and climbed up herself. They sat down to catch their breath. The blood of Dzor-chim H'ar had risen up to their level, leaving their bottom in blood. Lara sprang up in disgust. "Ugh! I think I've seen enough blood for today." She winced as she stood up to look around. Her gaze darted around the surface. "I can't see the phial." Lara looked again. "I can't see our swords either." She took off her shield, boots and socks, finally her holsters. Feanor gave her a strange look, as if she'd lost her mind.

"You're not going to swim in _that_, are you?" He asked, pointing at the pool of blood.

Lara raised her eyebrows. "Any ideas?" She paused for Feanor's response.

He shrugged. "I'll go."

Lara shook her head. "It's my duty." She gracefully dived in the pool of blood.

Dzor-chim H'ar's blue blood was warm and sticky. Luckily it was transparent enough for Lara to see her surroundings. She looked below and saw her sword, lying next to Feanor's. Lara swam down and grabbed them; then she swam to the surface and gasped for air. "Here, take these," she yelled at Feanor as she flung the swords toward him; he skillfully grabbed them. Lara dove again and looked for the phial.

There it was; in the hands of a dark elf. Lara swam down to get it. When she touched his hand, the elf's eyes opened and he punched Lara. Lara swam to him and punched him back. The force of Lara's blow made the elf loosen his grip. Lara swam to the phial, grabbed it and stuck it in her shorts. She felt a pair of hands grab her throat. Lara squirmed, trying to free his hands. She dug her nails deep into the elf's flesh. An air bubble escaped from the elf's mouth while he loosened his grasp. Lara gave him a good kick in the face; both flipped backwards. Lara swam to the surface once more for air.

"Feanor, my-" She couldn't finish her sentence, as the elf had grabbed her legs and pulled her down. The elf was at the surface now, pushing Lara to the depths of the pool.

There was an unmistakable noise of gunfire. Lara saw the elf; there was a hole on the elf's neck and the blood which was trickling from there made the surroundings purplish.

_That idiot, I'll show him!_ Lara thought angrily as she quickly swam to the shore. She hoisted herself out of the pool, grabbed the pistol from Feanor's hand and punched him. "Never use that again without asking me!" Lara exclaimed angrily.

"When was I supposed to ask you? When you were about to drown?" Feanor shot back.

Lara glared at him while she put on her socks and boots. "You could have killed yourself," she muttered crossly.

Feanor rolled his eyes. "Oh you the weaker kind, always griping!"

Lara picked up her staff and held it against his throat. "Would like to find out how weak I am?" She pressed the staff harder against his throat. "Would you? Hmmm?"

Feanor shook his head. "Good," said Lara and she put her staff down. She grinned at him. "Thank you for saving my life; I owe you one."

Feanor shook his head. "No, you don't. You must survive no matter what. That's why my father sent me with you. To cover your back."

Lara put the phial in her backpack and looked around. "So, how do we get out?"

Feanor looked around as well. "I don't know."

Lara was staring at her staff. She looked up. "I have a stupid idea, hope it works." Lara aimed the staff's orb at the gate and called out: "Open sesame!" Nothing happened. Lara smiled and shrugged. "Told you it was a dumb idea." She waited for his response. "Feanor?" Lara turned around and saw him climbing up. He had reached a stone he could rest on.

He called out to Lara: "I found a lever here; I'll try pulling it." He did. Feanor heard the noise of blades sticking out. He found himself clinging on the edge for his dear life. Feanor shimmied right and saw another rock he could step on. There was another lever; this time he was going to be careful. He looked across and saw another rock with a lever on it. A light bulb lit up in his head. "There's a lever on the other side. Swim across and climb on the rock so we can pull the levers at the same time."

"Consider it done!" Lara dived in the pool, swam across and quickly climbed up to that rock. She looked across to Feanor and shouted: "On three! One, two, ugh!" Both pulled the levers with all their might. A grumble came from below as the gate slowly opened. Air bubbles covered the surface as the blood flowed toward the cave entrance. Soon the liquid level had dropped, revealing the bottom.

"Eww, look at all those corpses!" Lara shuddered in disgust. She called out to Feanor: "Could you drop my stuff down? Careful on the backpack; the phial's in there."

Feanor threw the stuff down; they landed softly on a dead body. Lara climbed down and gathered her stuff. Feanor gave her the backpack; she snatched it out of his hands and put it on.

"You're welcome," grumbled Feanor sarcastically.

"Huh, what? Oh, thank you." Lara put on her shield and wrapped the cloak around the phial. She straightened up and grabbed her belongings.

"Let's go, shall we? We've stayed more than enough in this creepy place."

"After you." Both ran out of the room.

The path they had followed earlier was not as smooth as it was once was. Thanks to the staff the druid had given, Lara was able to break the rocks which covered the path. Soon they were out of the cave, feeling the warmth of the shining sun.

Lara stared at the sun. "It's noon, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is. We must have spent more than an hour in there. We should go to Hash'ra Thoron at once." Feanor took out his "spider". Lara did the same and transformed the spiders into their original form. The horses neighed and looked around in bewilderment. Lara turned to look at Feanor. "You know the way, don't you?"

"Yes, I do." Feanor and Lara got on their horses and headed east- to Hash'ra Thoron.

About two hours later, Lara and Feanor were standing in front of a wooden gate. Feanor got off his horse and approached the wooden gate. He pounded on the door three times; the gate bounced back and forth in response. Feanor shook his hand in pain (but he hid it from Lara). They heard footsteps coming from the other side. A gruff voice spoke up: "Who dares to disturb us?"

"I am Prince Feanor, son of Elagoth! Open up, in the name of the king! I wish to speak to War Chief Thrall!"

The gruff voice sounded curious. "And why should I let you?"

Lara spoke of. "It's because of me. I am Paladin Lara Croft, Keeper of Clar'thas. We need access to The Fountain of Mana."

"Why didn't you say so?"

The bar behind the door was lifted. Two orcs pulled the gate open. Lara and Feanor timidly entered through the gate.

Lara observed the village curiously. If you didn't consider the inhabitants, who were green and Orcish, it resembled a Native American village, with its clay houses. Some orcs were gathering lumber and gold, some were working at the blacksmith, and the soldiers were practicing. Lara found it rather typical and familiar.

The orc who had spoken to them earlier led Lara and Feanor to the large clay hut which was in the center of the village. He gruffly ordered them to wait while he opened the curtain and went inside. A few minutes later, he came out and gestured them to go in.

Lara and Feanor walked to the middle of the room. An orc was sitting in front of a desk, writing something on a scroll with his quill pen. He looked up, put his pen down and walked up to them. The orc studied Lara curiously, shaking his head in surprise. "Never thought that a woman would be the chosen one."

Lara squinted her eyes and studied the orc in return. He was tall and well-built, not short and plump like most of the orcs she had seen. "Are you Thrall?"

Thrall nodded. "I am the war chief. I assume you have the phial. Show it to me."

Lara opened her backpack, unrolled the cloak and showed him the phial. "I hope you're satisfied."

Thrall nodded. "I needed to know. You could have been spies." His red eyes glistened wisely. "I may be raised by humans, but I'm no fool."

Feanor jumped in the conversation. "Now that you've seen the phial, will you take us to the cave?"

Thrall shook his head. "I can only take you till the border. From there, it's the Night Elves' land." He picked up the scroll and handed it to Lara. "You will give this scroll to Narva. She knows the way to the Cave of Mana." He paused. "Well, everyone knows the way, but give this to her." He sighed as he went out of the hut. "Let's get going; it's a long way there."

_Somewhere between the border of Hash'ra Thoron and Troghirm Woods:_

"This is it," said Thrall.

Lara and Feanor stopped their horses and got off them. Night had fallen, and Thrall was about to leave them in the middle of nowhere. Lara looked around. The woods were silent, in a spooky way, except for the hooting of the owls. _Why do I have the feeling that I'm being watched all the time? _Lara shook her head._ I must be cracking up._ She noticed that Thrall and Feanor were staring at her.

"What?"

"You didn't answer my question," said Thrall.

Lara shook he head. "Sorry, I wasn't listening."

"Anyway, I should get going. Narva should be around here somewhere." Thrall sniffed the air and nodded. "She's definitely here. Narva! Show yourself!"

Lara heard tinkling, like wind chimes. A blurry shadow waved back and forth, resembling ripples in a pond. The shadow became solid, taking the shape of a lady on a wolf.

The woman's clear skin was pale blue. A mask covered around her dark blue eyes. Her long black hair was covered with a leather helmet; some of her hair fluttered in the breeze. In her left hand was a glaive; the moonlight reflected upon it, showing its sharp edges.

Narva opened her mouth to speak. "Good to see you Thrall. How about you Feanor? Don't tell me you're the chosen one!" She laughed at her own remark.

Lara took out the phial from her backpack and showed it to Narva. "_I _happen to be the chosen one. We need access to the cave. Thrall said that you could take us there."

Narva smiled when she saw the phial. "Excellent! Yes, I'll take you there. But shouldn2t you say goodbye to Thrall?"

Lara shook Thrall's hand. "Thanks for everything."

Thrall bowed. "My pleasure. Good luck." He turned around and disappeared into the night. _Weird,_ thought Lara. _Everything is soo weird._

Narva looked at Lara, then at Feanor. "If you two are ready, let's go."

"We're ready," replied Lara and Feanor in unison. Both looked at each other and smiled.

"Off we go then!" Narva exclaimed. She lifted her head up to look at the moon and yelled: "Goddess, light my path!" The moonlight shone brighter, revealing a path in front of them. Narva's wolf took off life an arrow; Lara and Feanor were close behind. After dashing like that for an hour or so, Narva's wolf stopped suddenly a few paces away from a large boulder. She flung her glaive at the boulder; the boulder split apart from the middle, revealing a hole in the ground. Narva looked behind her shoulder and waved at Lara and Feanor so that they could follow her in. The trio jumped in the hole.

"Another hole, another path," mumbled Lara as they went deeper into the earth. Feanor looked at her as if she'd gone crazy; Narva smiled sympathetically.

"You've been through a lot today, haven't you?"

Lara shook her head in disgust. "Don't ask."

"Well, no need to worry. Ah, here we are!" Narva stopped in front of a fountain. Its water was turquoise and was radiating a blinding light. Lara blinked a few times to adjust to its light. She took the phial out of her backpack and dipped it into the fountain. When the phial was full, the surface of the water became boiling hot. Lara pulled her hand and watched the bottle float in the air. The phial suddenly burst, giving out an even more blinding light. Lara closed her eyes to avoid it.

When she opened her eyes, she found herself in the throne room with Feanor and Narva. The king, the druid and Lizaveta were beaming with happiness.

"Well done, all of you!" The king spoke up with pride. He turned to Lara. "You have two choices if front of you. You can marry Feanor and become queen after my death. You'll have endless power; the world will be in front of your feet, servant will do your every bidding. Or," He shrugged. "You can return home."

Lara replied without hesitation. "I'd like to go home, Your Majesty."

The king sighed. "So be it." He approached Lara and kissed her on the forehead. "You can come anytime you like." (Lara had no idea how she could do that, but didn't say so. She nodded instead.)

Lara thanked Narva and hugged her. "Thanks for the help."

"Don't mention it." Narva's blue eyes shone with sadness. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too, Narva." Lara faced Feanor, who had a crooked grin on his face. He twirled his moustache.

"So, you don't want to be my wife, eh?"

Lara smiled. "It seems so. However, I don't think you'll have any trouble in filling my place."

Feanor laughed out loud and hugged Lara. "Take care."

"You too."

Lizaveta waved her hand; another blinding light made Lara close her eyes. She started to hear a buzzing sound…

Lara's hand hit the alarm clock on the bedside table. She groaned and dangled her feet from the bed. "Some dream that was!" She aid out loud.

Something caught her eye in the corner of her room. Something shiny, something sharp, something reflecting the sunlight that poured from outside. Lara went to the object, looked at it and gasped in shock.

The object was Clar'thas.


End file.
